HMS Nelson was a 126-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched on 4 July 1814 at Woolwich Dockyard she was later converted into a screw ship in 1860, and was cut down to a two-decker and fitted with an engine of 2,102 indicated horsepower. In 1865, HMVS Nelson was given to the colony of Victoria as a training ship. She was outfitted and rigged for £42,000 and sailed for Australia in October 1867. Travelling via the Cape of Good Hope, she arrived in February 1868. She was the first ship to dock in the newly constructed Alfred Graving Dock in Williamstown, Victoria.Possibly the first training ship of the Victorian Navy which had a base in Swan Island in Queenscliffe.A black and white photograph of the sailing ship HMS later HMVS Nelson docked at the Alfred Graving Dock, Williamstown, 1872"Nelson" in Alfred Graving Dock Williamstown, Victoria 1872hms nelson, hmvs nelson, alfred graving dock, williamstown

As the White Ensign was reserved entirely for the use of the Royal Navy, the Admiral decided to approve of a new ensign for the Victorian Navy and this was flown for the first time from Nelson on 9th March 1870. The new ensign was very similar to the present day national flag and incorporated the Union flag with five white stars on a blue field.Following upon a series of ‘Russian scares’ in the 1870s, Nelson presumably by permission of the Admiralty, was converted into a fighting ship for the Victorian Navy; she was cut down to a single- decker, the fore and mizzen masts were removed, and the armament modified by the landing of several of the old muzzle-loaders and the addition of a number of new breech-loading guns. This conversion was carried out in the new drydock in 1881.A framed copy of an engraving entitled: 'Opening of the Graving Dock, Williamstown'.Opening of the Graving Dock, Williamstownhmvs nelson, alfred graving dock, williamstown

In the evening of 20 November 1940, while en route from Queenscliff to Portsea in Port Phillip Bay where she intended to anchor for the evening, she collided with the 10,364 ton, outward bound passenger liner, MV Duntroon, which struck her amidships on the port side. Duntroon’s captain had believed that she was on a parallel course to Goorangai and overtaking her. By the time he realised Goorangai’s true course, with Duntroon travelling at more than 17 knots, it was too late to avoid the collision. Goorangai was cut in two and sank in less than a minute with the loss of her entire crew of 24. Just six bodies were recovered in subsequent salvage operations. She was the first ship lost by the RAN in World War II.This event is still remembered by the community at an annual ceremony in Queenscliffe. The hat band holds Victorian Heritage Register number S294 / 151982A hat band of Signalman Jack Herbert RAN mounted on a display board containing a copy of a signed photograph of the HMAS Goorangai ships company and an extract of his service record.hmas goorangai, mv duntroon, wwii, royal australian navy, port phillip

In 1940, German minefields were laid in east and west Bass Strait which quickly claimed merchant ships Cambridge (British) and the City of Rayville (American). HMAS Goorangai had finished mine sweeping duties and after resupply was crossing from Queenscliff to Point Nepean to seek better anchorage due to impending bad weather. At around 20:30 on the 20th of November 1940 the 10,400-ton MV Duntroon was transiting the South Channel on her way to Sydney from Perth via Melbourne carrying 65 passengers and general and perishable cargo. It struck HMAS Goorangai forward of the funnel on the port side and cut her in two. At about 20:45 HMAS Goorangai sank in less than a minute resulting in the loss of her whole ship’s company, a complement of 24 officers and sailors.HMAS Goorangai was the first Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship lost in WWII, the first RAN surface ship lost in wartime, and the first RAN surface ship lost with all hands. A memorial cairn was erected at Queenscliff in 1981 and a service of commemoration is held there every year.A severely damaged and corroded aluminium teapot recovered from the wreck of HMAS Goorangaihmas goorangai, wwii, collision at sea

This piece of fabric in the design of the Republic of Vietnam’s flag was cut from a roll carried by Military Assistance Command Vietnam operatives when they went around the villages, compounds and outposts. As part of the ‘Hearts and Minds’ program, they would cut off sections and hand them out to anyone who wanted a bit. Some pieces became flags, some head scarves, some were even used to wrap babies. Pieces showed up everywhere. Collected by Sub-Lieutenant A C Perry, Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam (RAN HFV) 1969 -1970. RAN HFV ) served with the 135th Assault Helicopter Company of the US Army. The Americans named this combined unit the 'experimental military unit' (EMU). Framed fabric piece, yellow with three red stripes, representing the South Vietnam flag plus 3 helicopter unit patches mounted on right hand side SOUTH VIETNAM FLAG/ HELICOPTER UNIT/ SHOULDER PATCHES/ FROM VIETNAM WAR/ KINDLEY ON LOAN FROM/ ANDY PERRY (SS US)/ ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVYsouth vietnam flag, helicopter patches, arvn, perry, 135th, 135thahc, emu, ranhfv, navy helicopter, andy perry, hearts and minds

Patrolling the Mekong Delta's Bassac River in hot-rodded cabin cruisers called PBRs, the U.S. Navy's brown-water sailors in 1967 were like tigers waiting for the cage door to open. Then Lieutenent Commander Don Sheppard cut them loose.vietnam war, 1961-1975 - riverine operations - american, u.s. navy, brown-water sailors, mekong delta, bassac river

Dark navy bound book with silver embossed writing. 267 pages. non-fictionA manual of practical office short cuts to improve office functions.town of portland, office, instructional manual

A gift to Ron Cochrane, a member of the Navy commissioning team of HMAS Voyager. The box was handmade by two brothers CLARK/E (?) from Benalla. The signatures done in ball point pen belonged to the crew attached to the portside Forward Mess. They presented the box to Cochrane who was responsible for the Mess as a token of appreciation. Ron Cochrane R46195 served as a Leading Hand with the Royal Australian Navy between 1951 and 1957 and served on numerous ships including HMAS Voyager between 6/2 - 6/10/1957. He was born on 20/3/1933 at Ballarat East. Daring class destroyer, Voyager, was the first ship of her class to enter Australian service, and the first all-welded ship to be built in Australia. During the night of 10 February 1964, Voyager and the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collided off Jervis Bay, when the destroyer passed in front of the carrier during post-refit sea trials. Voyager was cut in two by the collision, sinking with the loss of 82 of the 314 people aboard. This was the largest loss of Australian military personnel in peacetime, and the subsequent investigations resulted in the holding of two Royal Commissions—the only time in Australian history this has occurred.Cream painted wooden box with metal hinges. There is an inscription and ship on the lid and autographs written in ink on the underside of the lid. On top of lid - HMAS Voyager 1957 On bottom: Bills, bills and more bills !!!!!! Dotted line R Cochranehmas, voyager

From Dust cover - "AUSTRALIA IN THE WAR OF 1939-1945/ ROYAL/ AUSTRALIAN/ NAVY 1939-1942". Part of the "William (Bill) THOMASON" collection. Refer Cat. No. 4136P for more items.Hardcover book with dust cover. Cover - cardboard, dark blue colour buckram with gold colour print on spine. Dust cover - paper, dark blue and red colour print on front and spine with beige colour background. Illustrated front, in colour of an oil painting depicting "HMAS SYDNEY" in action. Flaps, front and back have blue and black colour print information. 689 pages- cut , plain, off white colour paper. Illustrated - black and white photographs and maps. End paper - front and back - owner library stamps, three at front, one at back.Library Stamps - black ink. Front; "Base Library/ Base Squadron/ RAAF Base/ EDINBURGH SA 5111/ CANCELLED" "DEFENCE REGIONAL LIBRARY/ ADELAIDE/ SOUTH AUSTRALIA" (Also at back). "DEFENCE INFORMATION SERVICE/ CALL NO. / ACC. NO./ ?RV. NO./ CAT NO." with handwritten - grey lead pencil - information "940-545994/AUS" "090229K" Black ink stamp "358930" "publications, books, ran, 1939-1945, william (bill) thomason collection

From front cover: "A HANDBOOK OF/ INFORMATION FOR/ MEMBERS OF THE / FORCES ON THE/ ROAD BACK TO/ CIVIL LIFE" Original owner of item: "Frederick James BARNSTABLE", 2rd/2nd Pioneer Battalion, VX55245.Soft cover booklet. Booklet cover - cardboard, navy, red and light blue colour with off white and navy colour print. Spine with metal staples. Illustrated - small Australian Coat of Arms in white colour print. 55 pages - cut, plain, off white colour."frederick james barnstable", booklet, handbook, ww2

This meticulously hand crafted ship model is one of the most intricate and challenging projects for a ship modeller to create. Jim Williams took up the challenge, choosing to make all of the components by hand, following a plan of the ship rather than purchasing a pre-made kit. He even made his own tools specifically for working with this model. The “Sovereign of the Seas” 1637-1697 - The magnificent ship “Sovereign of the Seas” was ordered by Charles I of England, who desired a giant Great Ship to be built. It was built by Peter Pett under the guidance of his father Phineas, the King's master shipwright, and launched with 102-guns at Woolwich Dockyard on 13th October 1637, as the Navy’s second three-decker first-rate ship. It was the most extravagantly decorated warship in the Royal Navy, bought with the help of a special 'Ship Money' tax imposed by the King. Soon afterwards the ship was remodelled and cut down to a safer and faster ship. Over the ship’s lifetime it was renamed “Commonwealth”, then in 1650 it became simply “Sovereign” then again after a rebuild in 1660 it was named “Royal Sovereign”. By 1642 the ship’s armament had been reduced to 90 guns. In 1651 Sovereign was made more manoeuvrable by reducing the upper works. It served throughout the wars of the Commonwealth and became the flagship of General Robert Blake. It was involved in all of the great English naval conflicts fought against the United Provinces and France and was referred to as 'The Golden Devil' by the Dutch. By 1660 the armament was changed attain to 100 guns. After the English Restoration, it was rebuilt as a first-rate ship of the line, with flatter gun decks and 100 guns, and most of the carvings were removed. During the First Anglo-Dutch War, in a secret session on 21 October 1652, the States-General of the Netherlands announced reward money for the crews of fire ships that succeeded in destroying enemy vessels; the Sovereign was singled out with an extra prize of 3000 guilders to sink or ruin it. Although repeatedly occupied by the Dutch, the Sovereign was retaken every time by the British and remained in service for nearly sixty years as the best ship in the English fleet. The Sovereign was in regular service during the three Anglo-Dutch Wars, surviving the Raid on the Medway in 1667. After a second rebuild in 1685 the Sovereign was relaunched as a first-rate ship of 100 guns, before taking part in the outset of the War of the Grand Alliance against Louis XIV of France, venturing into the Irish Sea, and later participating in the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690 and the Battle of La Hougue. At this time she was more than fifty years old. It was the first ship in history to fly ‘royals’ above the topgallant sails and a top gallant sail on the jigger-mast. The Sovereign eventually became leaky and defective with age and was laid up at Chatham when, on 27th January 1697, the famous ship caught fire, burning to the waterline. Jim Williams, the model’s maker - Jim (James Bernard) Williams was born in 1888 at The Forth in Scotland. He lived in Tasmania for some time and enlisted to fight in France in WW1. After the war he moved to Warrnambool, Victoria, where he worked at the Cramond & Dickson clothing store until the Great Depression in the 1930’s. He was later employed at Fletcher Jones Menswear, where he worked for 27 years until just before his death in 1959. Jim was a passionate ship model builder. He worked on his model ships between 1930 and 1955, including The Endeavour and The Sovereign of the Seas, which was one of the most intricate historic ship models to build. He had a table set up in a bay window and worked on them on and off using a jeweller's eye glass on the finer pieces. Jim’s long-time employer, Fletcher Jones, knew of Jim’s hobby and skill as a ship model builder and requested Jim to describe the model, Sovereign of the Seas, with the view of putting it on display. When the model was finished there was a full article and photo in The Standard newspaper. Jim described his work on the ship mode “Sovereign of the Seas” in correspondence to his then employer, Fletcher Jones. The document gives us an insight into his skill, patience, and regard for replicating the details of the original ship. Some of the details are: "In making the model the time taken to make certain items might be of interest. For instance "The Great Lantern" on the stern, four weeks, a similar time for the figurehead of St George & the Dragon. "The lower shrouds three to each side about six weeks & the rigging as whole several months. There are nearly 300 blocks and pulleys ranging from nearly 1 / 16 inch in diameter. Dead eyes were bored with 3 to 5 holes. To do this needles of different sizes, set in handles & ground to wedge ends were used. Glass cut and ground to shape were used windows. All gun-port covers (74) hinged. "All guns and anchors made of wood. Nothing for the model was purchased ready-made; everything hand made." Jim’s family donated the ship model along with many associated tools, accessories and papers. The model represents the Sovereign of the Seas. The Royal Navy ship of the line launched in 1637 has a significant British maritime heritage. These days the Sovereign of the Seas still remains one of the most intricate historic ship models to build, representing to the model enthusiast a true challenge to the art of model shipbuilding. The model of Sovereign of the Seas in Flagstaff Hill's collection is an exemplary example of a ship model built and hand crafted from a plan with the making of every item on the model, not a model kit with prefabricated parts. It was made by a local Warrnambool man Jim Williams as a leisure activity in the mid 20th century. The hobby and craft of ship model making has resulted in visual representations of the changes in maritime technology and advances in world-wide navigation. Ship model of HMS Sovereign of the Seas, a 17th century British warship. The handmade model is in wooden framed, airtight glass case. All components were hand crafted. Many of the tools used were made by the model maker, Jim Williams. An inscribed plaque is within the case. Inscribed on plaque "SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS / 102 GUNS - 1634"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, model ship, vessel sovereign of the seas, jim williams, james bernard williams, the forth tasmania, freda williams, heather williams, phyllis bowditch, fletcher jones staff 1936, 17th century sailing ship, cramond and dickson, sovereign of the seas, royal sovereign, sovereign, charles 1, ship model

A complete set of 8 blueprints from “Popular Mechanics Magazine”, Chicago. The blueprints are on a royal purple coloured paper with white print. Each print displays labelled diagrams to assist the hobbyist to assemble the ship model “Sovereign of the Seas”. The designer is Harold T. Bodkin. Distinct fold creases divide the documents into quarters. There is some silverfish damage leaving holes, however, all instructions are visible. flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, model ship, vessel sovereign of the seas, jim williams, james bernard williams, the forth tasmania, freda williams, heather williams, phyllis bowditch, fletcher jones staff 1936, 17th century sailing ship, cramond and dickson, sovereign of the seas, royal sovereign, sovereign, charles 1, fletcher jones, warrnambool breakwater, popular mechanics magazine

From the front cover; "Kit Muster/ UNIFORMS, BADGES AND CATEGORIES/ OF THE/ AUSTRALIAN NAVY/ 1865-1953."Hard cover book. Card - cardboard grey colour background. Gold and black colour print on front spine and back. Illustrated montage of colour photograph of naval uniforms, badges and rank badges. Background - three portrait photographs. 305 pages - cut, plain, white colour paper. Illustrated - colour and black and white photographs, illustrations and maps.publication, book, royal australian navy, uniforms

Pair of navy blue kid or doeskin women's gloves, wrist length with triangular suede inset and bow trim near wrist. Pull on gloves with 'V' shaped 'cut' on inner wrist. Label on inner left wrist is indecipherable.costume accessories, female